Murdaugh defense optimistic about new trial as court clerk's alleged misconduct is reviewed
South Carolina Supreme Court will hear two consolidated appeals in February, including challenges to the 2023 murder trial and claims of jury tampering by court clerk Becky Hill.
The defense team for Alex Murdaugh says they remain cautiously optimistic that a new trial could be possible after the South Carolina Supreme Court agreed to hear two consolidated appeals related to the 2023 murder case, including a claim that a court clerk tried to influence jurors. The attorneys, led by Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said the court will hear oral arguments on February 11 on two consolidated issues: the legal rulings from the murder trial and a separate appeal focusing on the conduct of Colleton County clerk Becky Hill during the proceedings.
The slate of issues comes as legal strategy in the case shifts from the courtroom to the appellate bench. Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at the family’s hunting estate in June 2021 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. While those convictions stand, the defense claims deficiencies in the trial process warrant examination. The consolidation means the court will consider both the trial’s legal rulings and the clerk’s alleged influence as part of a single review window.
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